Sydney Ideas is pleased to host an evening with Egyptian writer Ahdaf Soueif, in conversation with the University of Sydney’s Lucia Sorbera. Soueif will discuss Egyptian literature and role of women in the Arab Spring, will read from her body of works, and sign books after the event.

Ahdaf Soueif is the author of the bestselling novel The Map of Love Map of Love (shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1999 and translated into 28 languages), as well as the well-loved In the Eye of the Sun and the collection of short stories, I Think of You. Soueif is also a political and cultural commentator and writes regularly for The Guardian in the UK and has a weekly column in al-Shorouk in Egypt. Most recently she has published her eyewitness account of the events in Cario during January 2011, Cairo: My City, Our Revolution.

Ahdaf Soueif is in Australia as a guest of the Perth Writers’ Festival and Adelaide Writers’ Week.

In 1901, far from the comfort of the British colony, Anna Winterbourne, recently widowed, finds herself enraptured by Egypt and in love with Sharif Pasha al-Baroudi. Nearly a hundred years later, Isabel, a divorced American journalist, journeys to Egypt to learn about her heritage and a difficult man.

Ahdaf Soueif, author of the bestselling novel The Map of Love, provides insights into how to approach cultural differences and contemporary issues in our world today. The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions of the author. Recommended for grades 9 and up. Free event, but tickets are required. 202-467-4600. (SqueakyChu)

Arab authors who have found a home in English and French discuss literature that manages to cover vast tracts of time and space and to address multiple audiences in various languages. Family Theater. 90 minutes. Free. reservations required. 202-467-4600. (SqueakyChu)